1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a connector and particularly relates to a connector (hereinafter, referred to as a main connector) which is provided on a main body so as to be fitted to an insertion-side connector provided on an assembly in an assembling structure for attaching the assembly on the main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical connection between electric parts provided on an assembly, for example, an instrument panel and a car body side is performed by fitting an insertion-side connector provided on the rear surface of the instrument panel to a main connector provided on a main body, for example, a car body. Although the insertion-side connector and the main connector are designed so that their insertion central axes are coincident with each other when the instrument panel is attached in a predetermined position on the car body, there is a case where displacement is generated between the insertion central axes of the respective connectors because of dimensional tolerance or the like, thereof.
Referring to FIG. 5, description will be made as to an example of the main connector of this kind which is movably provided on a car body to thereby make it possible to absorb a fitting error with an insertion-side connector. FIG. 5 is a side view showing an insertion-side connector and a conventional main connector. A main connector 1 is provided with a connector body 3 attached to a movable bracket 5. The movable bracket 5 holds the connector body 3 through locking between flexible lock pawls 7 of the movable bracket 5 and lock protrusions 9 of the connector body 3, respectively. Further, the movable bracket 5 is attached to a car body 13 through locking between lock pawls 11 of the movable bracket 5 and lock portions 15 of the car body 13, respectively. Therefore, the connector body 3 is movable relative to the car body 13 within a range of elastical displacement of the flexible lock pawls 7. A shaft portion 17 having an opening at its front end is projected from the front surface of the connector body 3 and a nut 19 is provided in the inside of the shaft portion 17.
An insertion-side connector 23, on the other hand, is attached to the rear surface of an instrument panel 21. A receiving hole 25 is formed in the insertion-side connector 23 so that the shaft portion 17 is inserted into the hole 25. A rotatable bolt 27 is provided in the receiving hole 25 so that the bolt 27 can be screwed into the nut 19 of the main connector 1.
In the thus configured main connector 1, if there is a fitting error between the insertion-side connector 23 and the main connector 1 when the instrument panel 21 is attached in the predetermined position of the car body 13, the shaft portion 17 of the main connector 1 may be movable along the receiving hole 25 of the insertion-side connector 23 and this possibility of movement of the shaft portion 17 is absorbed by the flexible lock pawls 7 of the movable bracket 5 so that the main connector 1 moves on the same insertion central axis as that of the insertion-side connector 23.
After the shaft portion 17 is inserted into the receiving hole 25, the bolt 27 is screwed into the nut 19 so that the main connector 1 which has moved on the same insertion central axis is drown toward the insertion-side connector 23 and a terminal 29a of the main connector 1 is connected to a terminal 29b of the insertion-side connector 23 to thereby complete the fitting between the main connector 1 and the insertion-side connector 23.
In the conventional main connector 1, however, there is such a possibility that since the connector body 3 is attached on the car body 13 through the movable bracket 5 so as to be held thereon, relative displacement or resonance is generated between the car body 13 and the instrument panel 21 when vibration is generated in running of the car so that a load is exerted to a contact portion between the terminals 29a and 29b of the main connector 1 and the insertion-side connector 23 to make the contact state unstable to thereby reduce the reliability of the electrical connection.